The Iposu family chieftaincy in Epe area of Lagos State has decried persistent threat from alleged land grabbers, calling on the Lagos State government to intervene.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the family, made available by Mr Sharafadeen Iposu, on behalf of the family. He called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to save them from persistent encroachment and threats by land grabbers.

According to Sharafadeen, they were seeking government’s protection from attacks on family members and usurpation of the land situated at Lagos Road, Epe, beside Lagos Theatre, by some thugs loyal to a monarch in Epeland and an Epe ex-council boss.

He said: “After several legal disputes which ended up affirming our ownership of the land, we are informing the public that the crisis is not a community fight as earlier tagged by some persons who want to misinform the public that it is a clash between two communities in Epe-Eko and Ijebu Epe; rather, it is the struggle for control over the land belonging to the Iposu Chieftaincy family by some land grabbers bent on inflicting a reign of terror on Epeland.

“The Iposu Chieftaincy family is only challenging those who are encroaching on their land. We are law-abiding citizens; we will always abide by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in order to take what belongs to our family.”

The state government had, during the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, signed a bill into law criminalising land grabbing and extortion of money from land developers in the state. The law prohibits forceful entry and illegal occupation of landed properties, violent and fraudulent conduct in relation to landed properties in Lagos.

The family representative, therefore, appealed to the state government to send its task force that is saddled with the responsibility of preventing unrest caused by land grabbers to the area.